Dick by Law by Robert T. Jeschonek Page B

moment, maybe the most perfect moment in Simon's life . A full moon hung against the sky's velvet blackness, bathing him and Ishi in its silver glow. A slow , cool breeze ribboned through the cage around the deck, toying with Ishi's dark, silky bangs. Lights glowed in all directions like a sea of flickering stars folded over the Earth , intercut with ever-flowing rivers of dancing headlight beams.
    All was right with the world. Simon and Ishi had just made a book deal in the high six figures. A day ago, they'd appeared on the top-rated morning T.V. show in America. Last night, they'd made love for the first time.
    And now here they were, in each other's arms on the deck of the Empire State Building, far above Manhattan. It felt magical. It felt like a new beginning.
    For a long moment, the two of them watched the twinkling nighttime cityscape and didn't say a word. Simon slid around to stand beside her, drawing her tight against him with an arm around her shoulders.
    "This is incredible," said Simon. "Everything...all of it. If it turns out to be a dream, I swear I'm gonna be so pissed ."
    "As long as we don't wake up, what's the difference?" Ishi shrugged.
    "That's true," said Simon. "Some people think reality's just a dream anyway."
    Ishi took a deep breath and slowly released it. "I could stay up here forever, Simon. With you holding me, and kissing me, and talking."
    "Me, too." Simon watched the blinking lights on a distant helicopter flitting over the inky skyline. He thought about the strange turns of events that had led him here, free of gravity, spinning through the unknown , and he wondered where life would lead him next.
    "So here we are, " said Ishi.
    Simon kissed her hand. "This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship."
    "I vote we see where it leads us," said Ishi.
    Simon kissed her on the lips. The kiss intensified, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw that things were changing.
    The sea of lights was going out.
    "What the hell?" As Simon watched, a wave of darkness flowed over the city, snuffing out one great swath of lights after another.
    Ishi looked, too. "Must be a rolling blackout ."
    The wave of darkness continued to flow, claiming more of the city. When it passed the Empire State Building, the lights on the observation deck flickered out around Simon and Ishi. Fortunately, the moon and stars w ere bright enough that they could still see .
    "The power ought to come back on soon," said Ishi.
    "That would be nice," said Simon. "Otherwise, it'll be a long walk down."
    Ishi laughed. " At least the walk will be down , not up ."
    Simon smiled and kissed her again. "In the meantime, I'm not really in that much of a hurry."
    She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "It is romantic, isn't it?"
    "Here we are in the middle of Manhattan," said Simon. "In the middle of a blackout. And we're trapped up here on the Empire State Building...together." He ran a fingertip over her rosebud lips. "It doesn't get much more romantic than that."
    The two of them kissed for a long time after that, neither paying much attention to anything but each other. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.
    Simon pushed everything out of his mind but Ishi. He didn't care when the power was coming back, and he didn't care when they were get ting back down to street level. As far as he was concerned, the blackout was the best thing that could have happened that night.
    It never occurred to him that the sudden darkness, like an eclipse, might be considered an omen of dark times to come.
    Â 
    *****
    Chapter 2 4

    The Next Day
    Melville, Pennsylvania

    A day later, after returning from New York City, Simon walked in the door of his house to find a pissed-off Quinn waiting for him.
    "You're a dead man!" Quinn , in his black pinstriped suit, carrying a briefcase in one hand, looked like he'd just come from court . Marching up to Simon with a furious look on his face, he jabbed him